Unreal Engine 4 now supports Linux and SteamOS: Is this the year of desktop Linux?

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Unreal has announced that Unreal Engine 4.1, due to be released in the next couple of weeks, will fully support SteamOS and Linux. Developers can take their games — whether they’re indie or triple-AAA titles — flip a switch, and voila: The game is packaged and ready to run on SteamOS and Linux. Suffice it to say, this could be a huge step towards making Linux a viable platform for gaming. Could 2014 finally be the year of desktop Linux (YODL)?

As you may know, the first stable version of Unreal Engine 4 was only officially released at GDC in March, where it was announced that Nvidia’s GameWorks libraries would be baked into UE4 by default. With UE4, Unreal promised that it would be moving away from slower, monolithic releases, towards a continuous release schedule — thus why it’s only April and UE4.1 is already upon us. This continuous release plan also fits in with Unreal’s new pricing scheme, where developers can get the full engine and source code for just $19 per month (+5% of any eventual profits).

Along with support for Linux and SteamOS, Unreal Engine 4.1 also includes new templates for flying and rolling games, and the editor now has an Undo History window, debug histogram visualization, and a string translation editor. There’s the usual slew of bug fixes and quality-of-life improvements — oh, and the Elemental demo (embedded above) is now part of the UE4.1 bundle, if developers want to use the assets for any reason.

With the new, incredibly low priced monthly payment plan, plus support for Linux and SteamOS, it’s clear that Unreal is trying to position UE4 as the ideal platform for indie game development. There could also be a significant boost to Linux’s viability as a serious gaming platform, if big-time developers can easily bring their triple-A titles over — and of course, as far as Valve’s concerned, this could be exactly what the doctor ordered to make people take Steam Machines a little more seriously. I don’t think this is enough to suddenly make 2014 the year of desktop Linux, but it’s certainly a step in the right direction.

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Part of all Linux installations should be an option about whether application usage stats will be monitored. Right there with choosing your keyboard and time zone. Then we could actually start to get a grip on whether UE4 is a factor.

chojin999

No, it’s not. Linux support and SteamOS support is pretty useless. Only a bunch of people there willing to buy games. The others never buy anything or just pirate everything and most would even ask developers to make the games source code open and free for everyone to steal the ideas and make a profit out of others hard work.
Marketing wise can be nice BUT the real profit using the Unreal Engine comes from publishing games on Apple iOS App Store and Windows on Steam.
Android too it’s 90% piracy .. the only profit any developer can get comes from ads.. which ruin any app and gaming experience anyway….

You’ll notice how 23 out of 23 cross platform games Linux users were always willing to pay more than windows or apple users.

Dozerman

No, not you. I was referring to that moron above you.
*points over your head

Barry Ferguson

“real profit using the Unreal Engine comes from publishing games on Apple iOS App Store and Windows on Steam”

Sooo…. Steam on Linux is unprofitable but Steam on Windows is? Do you even think about the shit you say or do you try to make yourself look like a cunt on every single article on purpose? Ads are the only profit of games? Get real. How is this shit even related to the article anyway…

S.Nkm

Oh wow so much bullshit and disinformation packed in one comment. It’s actually impressive.

Steve Brown

LOL You’re such an idiot it hurts. You should look at the figures for the Humble Indie bundle and see who pays the most for games. Equally you should read the terms of the GPL and see who makes a profit out of other people’s work when code is open sourced.

From my experience, as Windows user have to spend so much on their OS, Office Suite, Photoshop and raft of other proprietary software they were more inclined to “pirate” games and other software. I’ve bought more games software since switching to Linux and much more since Steam supported the platform, but that’s just my limited anecdotal experience…but then you’re not interested in facts either are you?

Edwin Obando Chacon

Microsoft employee or fanboy has just been here.

A futurlove

Wow i am no where near a techy and know there are security measures that protect devs and there hard work, i use linux iso files os to dvd+r dvd-r or usb install OS RUN STEAM awesome games and never had a problem why people talk so much crap against linux

Stacey Bright

Did anyone actually not expect UE4 linux support? Considering every version of the engine has had it, even when it was largely ignored as a valid gaming platform. The fact that it is now beginning to look like a true contender would make it a stupid time to choose otherwise.

Phobos

That’s true, Every version of the UE has/had support for Linux but it gets ignored. Will Steam OS change that? I hardly doubt it or at least until it gets out and even then its going to take some time so yeah it will probably get ignored in the end.

Stacey Bright

Not so much about if SteamOS will make a difference, but the fact the competing game engines are picking up Linux support. Valve’s Source engine and CryEngine specifically. There is also the 4A Engine and the SeriousEngine, but those offer basically 1 game each since there is 0 third party use.

eonvee375

I WOULD JUST LOVE someone to get a good engine compatible for every system so people would stop bitching about OSs…
i would take Linux, but i have no problem our MAC and WIN brothers having the same fun, the more the merrier! ^^

LIve CD

for game developers linux has the advantage that you can simply provide a full bootable optimised live linux ISO/USB tailored to your game engine and have any consumer simply insert and boot that on a bare bones OS’less hardware to play it if they don’t want to fully install it.

OC it would also help if these game devs made some time and patched and simd optimised any upstream gfx code rather than writing work arounds in said game engine for any known bugs in the gfx code…

Don’t forget that Cyrengine is also supporting Linux, too, and Unity3D is improving its already existent Linux support substantially in Unity5. That said, I don’t think that this is the year of the linux desktop. There has been Linux game support for awhile now, and us Linux users are still barley at a 3 percent marketshare.

Joe Sweeney

3%? I think it’s more like 1.6%. 3% would be quite substantial! I would say the “Year of the Linux Desktop” will come when it reaches about 5%, which I think is doable in the next few years if the cards fall right.

Dozerman

I think it’ll happen. With most normal users going to tablets and phones, we’re pretty much seeing a future populated by freelancers, power users, and gamers in the personal space. Freelancers will probably like the concept of lowering costs through a free OS, assuming what they’re freelancing as has some Linux variant of what they were using before, power users are already at least familiar with Linux and game companies are all showing some degree of interest in it. The office space might offer some resistance, but LibreOffice is already a very well rounded Office suite with many advantages over “the” Office, such as Calc’s HSA accelerated functions that can kick Excell’s ass (assuming you’re using either Kaveri or Kabini), though the offices of the future might either use a smartphone plugged into a monitor or a thin client connected to a corporate server (that is probably using Linux anyway).

I wiped Vista off my aunt’s computer (who isn’t techy AT ALL, just bought whatever was on the sales floor in Staples a few years ago), and put Ubuntu 12.04 on there instead. Now the machine flies, and my aunt LOVES it! I think this is how the word has to be spread, in leu of advertising dollars.

Dozerman

True, but you have to be careful. I did the same for my coworker and didn’t realize that the integrated WiFi requires a proprietary driver. We ended up going 100 dollars over budget for Windows.

disillusioned

My mom is still using Mint 12 from a few years ago on her PC. It isn’t supported anymore but it just works.

Ray C

I really don’t care anymore. I’m ready for something to either happen or everyone to stop obsessing about it.

Nice! The BIG question still remains though, will AAA publishers actually release for Linux no that all it takes is a click of a button or will they bend under M$oft lobbying (a.k.a. bribing)

Trever Grissam

Can I develop and edit the games on linux yet with this or just output the game for it?

Mi Pen

Actually I love the idea of steam. Its bringing gaming over to PC in a serious way. Whiners going on about steam like its Satan, lol just don’t use it. As for buggy well its quite new and PC version was buggy at first but now its fine. Sorry but games were never gonna be made seriously and released for free on Linux in any serious way. Gaming is vital to keep even Linux lovers using the Linux partition more. Steam is a great idea and is finally cracking Linux’s final hurdle. Gaming. People use PC’s for more than just basic or nerd reasons Unreal, Steam and others finally closing that final weak spot. And making Linux more a complete experience for those who want it all.

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